Students Helena Fee Rasch (SPP and Sciences Po MPP/MPA Double Degree) and Achilles Tsirgis (SPP and Columbia University MPA Double Degree) joined SPP Professor Vanessa Rubio-Márquez to attend the inaugural in Washington DC.
Achilles and Helena were selected to attend as part of the Fellowship Programme between the ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ School of Public Policy and the Atlantic Council's . The FPC aims to increase the well-being of people, especially that of the poor and marginalized in developing countries, through unbiased, data-based research on the relationship between prosperity and economic, political, and legal freedoms. The fellowship programme enables students to engage in joint research projects with FPC researchers, gain firsthand insights into the policymaking process and receive guidance and resources from FPC to develop and publish their own research over the year.
The Global Prosperity conference brought together policymakers, industry leaders, and scholars for expert panel discussions and research seminars to explore actionable solutions for global development, freedom, democracy, and shared prosperity.
This year the conference explored themes including the 2025 agenda for advancing global prosperity, the state of freedom and prosperity around the world, empowering women to advance development, the future of democracy and development in Latin America and a human development approach towards religious freedom. Achilles noted:
"The format allowed for both broad overviews of global trends and in-depth explorations of specific challenges and solutions, and the rich background of invited speakers created a genuine multidisciplinary environment. A specific panel on the future of democracy and development in Latin America was particularly interesting, as it featured SPP Professor & Associated Dean for Executive Education Vanessa Rubio-Marquez, who talked about Mexico’s particularities and road ahead."
Some key takeaways from our participants included:
- The importance of data-driven policy and to think critically about how evidence-based approaches can bridge the gap between research and impactful policy change.
- How the vast potential of women remains underutilized in shaping political and legal systems and how opportunities to empower women in leadership roles can be a transformative force for political and legal reform, ultimately advancing broader societal well-being.
- The FPC’s Freedom & Prosperity Index (FPI) shows a deterioration in global freedom in the last half decade and this deterioration has been accompanied by a stalling of global prosperity.
- The effects of stalling of global prosperity for emerging economies, which have traditionally relied on globalization as a vehicle to obtain a comparative trade advantage, lift individuals out of poverty, and promote democratization and market economy reforms.
- The growing uncertainty of globalization raises questions of whether a shift is taking place that will affect not only the current but also the future potential for political and economic convergence of emerging nations. This highlights the important role of fellows, academic researchers & students, activists for economic growth in the emerging world, and advocates for international cooperation to have a moral obligation to support global cooperation.
The topical discussions with experts during the conference have provided further thinking points for Achilles and Helena as they continue to work on their individual research proposals for the FPC. Helena noted:
"As part of my fellowship with the Atlantic Council’s Freedom and Prosperity Center, I will further explore the relationship between female leadership and political and legal freedoms. My research examines how female leadership in public service correlates with political and legal freedom. I am hoping to offer a data-driven lens on how gender-inclusive governance can strengthen democratic institutions.
The insights gained from the Global Prosperity Forum—particularly around underutilized female potential and the importance of data-driven policy—have shaped the way I approach this research. I aim to apply these perspectives not only in my academic work but also in future policy-oriented roles, where evidence-based, inclusive solutions are essential for meaningful change."
Achilles will continue to examine the relationship between legal clarity and prosperity as part of his research proposal, with an emphasis on trying to understand the origins and social contract behind codified legal clarity:
"The conference was certainly a call to action and a realisation that my beliefs are not isolated, but rather shared by an exceptionally industrious society. What I distinguished in conversations with other attendants and researchers at the Atlantic Council was an exceptional combination of talent and passion. This combination is extraordinary."